December 01, 2012

Reports of a shooting at Chiefs' practice facility, NFL advises Panthers to travel as planned

There are multiple reports out of Kansas City that a Kansas City Chiefs player killed his girlfriend and then drove to the team's practice facility and killed himself.

KCTV5 reports the first shooting happened at 8 a.m. today. The name of the player in question has not been released.

“We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning," read a statement on the Chiefs' official website. "We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation."

The Carolina Panthers are scheduled to play the Chiefs at 1 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. The Panthers were told by the league to travel to Kansas City as planned.

Interim general manager Brandon Beane told the Observer's Joseph Person that the NFL has advised the team to travel as planned, and the team's charter plane is scheduled to leave from Charlotte at 1:15 p.m on Saturday.

Update (12:10 p.m.): The Kansas City Police Department has confirmed the player was Chiefs LB Jovan Belcher.

KCPD confirms #Chiefs player involved in murder/suicide was Jovan Belcher.

"If the Panthers have to fly back from Kansas City without having played the game, it's not that big of an issue to deal with,'' the source told Banks. "We'd rather take the time to think through all the ramifications.''